Who gets ventral and incisional hernias?
Incisional hernias can appear months or years after abdominal surgery, including C-sections and appendix or gallbladder operations. Risk factors include infection of the original wound, obesity, smoking, diabetes and heavy strain during healing.
Other ventral hernias form in the midline above the belly button (epigastric hernias) or in other weak spots of the abdominal wall.
Symptoms
- A bulge along or near an old scar, or in the midline of the abdomen
- Discomfort that increases with activity, coughing or lifting
- A bulge that has become larger over months or years
- Episodes of pain with nausea, which should be evaluated promptly
Talk with Dr. Arsenous about your options.
Evaluation
Dr. Arsenous will examine the abdomen standing and lying down. A CT scan is often helpful for incisional hernias to measure the size of the defect, look for more than one hernia, and plan the repair.
A hernia that suddenly becomes painful, hard and cannot be pushed back, especially with vomiting, needs emergency evaluation.
How the repair is done
Small ventral hernias can often be repaired through a short incision directly over the hernia. Larger or multiple hernias may be repaired laparoscopically, placing mesh on the inside of the abdominal wall through a few small incisions, or through an open approach that brings the muscles back together and reinforces them with mesh.
Preparing for surgery matters here. Stopping smoking, controlling blood sugar and, when possible, losing weight all lower the risk of the hernia returning.
Recovery
Recovery depends on the size of the repair. Smaller repairs are often same-day surgery with a return to desk work in one to two weeks. Large repairs may involve a hospital stay and a longer period of lifting restrictions. An abdominal binder is sometimes recommended for comfort.